Dead Flowers
by LilacCity
Summary: Lily just wanted a normal life, but maybe Gotham was a bad place to try and start one. With unlucky encounters from her past, danger, and death everything takes a turn for the worst. Soon she starts to wonder if there's any point in fighting it. Her life, her sanity, were gone before they were even had. Rated so for future chapters. Some aspects based on events from the movies.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Lily sat still atop her queen sized bed, staring off into the distance as she pulled her knees to her chest. Molly lied next to her, silent purrs emanating from her moderately sized feline body as Lily subconsciously stroked the shiny black fur. With an arm around her legs she slowly began to sigh, her eyes closing before she let herself fall sideways into her endless supply of stuffed animals and pillows.

"Oh Molly, it's so scary isn't it?" The cat was now alert, its gaze held on its 17 year old friend's collapsed figure with a tilt of the head. Quickly she pounced atop Lily, her claws softly grazing the girl's bare skin before she snuggled up to her back. Lily could only smile at this, giving a soft giggle. "You're right. There's nothing to worry about. Thank's Molly." The young woman turned to softly nudge her head to the cats, its sharp eyes slowly closing as hers did. She needed her sleep, after all, tomorrow was going to be different.

-ii-

The sound of a guitar slowly stirred Lily up with a yawn and stretch that seemed to claw at the pillows around her as she sat up. Raven hair draped over her messily as it covered her eyes, shoulders, and bare chest, just touching her hips, although that was only because of her slight kneeling position she had taken on her bed. Golden brown skin showed between her breasts and at her waist, but was covered by a pair of baggy striped pyjama pants that were loosely secured at her hips. Slowly she brought a hand straight up, straightening her back and grabbing the arm at the elbow with her other hand with a twist of her head. She groaned softly at the nice stretch before relaxing, hair a tousled mess over her shoulders, back and breasts. With another slight turn of the head she saw herself in her mirror across the door less open section of her apartment she called a room. A silver bell hung closely to her slender neck as she reach for it with a hand. _Jingle jingle._

A soft early morning breeze blew through her window. "Crap, Molly!" Molly rose her head sleepily as she looked to see what the matter was. "Why didn't you tell me I left the window open?" Lily hopped off the bed with a grumble, her bare toes curling as they met with the freezing wood tiles before making her way to the window. Sleepily she ran a hand through her thick tangles of long bangs, getting them out of her face so she could see the window and where to close it. There were the blowing white curtains, the long and large window, the man in the other building across from her, the… Man?

Lily halted, her hand frozen in her hair as she sleepily stared on under long lashes, a blank expression on her face as she filled with shock. The man was much lighter than her, pale even, with no pigment in his skin she could make out beside the pink in his nose and darkness of his eyes. He was leaning his arms against the bottom of his open window, which seemed just a little too low, judging by the angle he lay at. He too was shirtless, although a pair of black sweats hung from his pale body, almost covered by his leaning frame. He was mildly built, with a tall lightly muscular build. The man looked down from his building window sleepily, one arm over the other that dangled a novel over the ally below, as if to extort it to some secret with this torture, although he didn't seem too entertained by it. Half oval glasses hung off his long slender pink tipped nose, tired eyes almost covered by the mess of brown locks atop his head. Suddenly his eyes lifted, without any other move than the continuous tapping of his index finger on the book. He sucked in air slowly as he lifted his posture, now leaning and staring her direction, a spark amusement dancing in his tired blank eyes for only a moment.

Jonathan was a little shocked to see such a sight so early in the morning. The sun hadn't even thought of coming up and all the other windows on that building had no light to show a conscious inhabitant. Not one except this strange girl's, with the dim light to the left of her, probably from a bedside lamp he simply deduced. He tilted his head, looking her up and down. Messy long black curls for hair hung just above her belly button which, if he wasn't mistaken, appeared to have a small scar in it. She was a quite shapely, big hips and thighs, but a small and very naked waist. In fact, she didn't seem to be wearing anything on her upper body, although her hair covered her in the places that counted. His gaze crawled up from her stomach to the bare skin between breasts which was covered by nothing except a small necklace. Passing up her neck he found her jaw line, softly pointed with full pink lips in a pout and soft button nose in the centre of her face. Most apparent though were her eyes. Orbs of dark brown as they stared wide eyed in what had probably started as calm and seemed to be growing with more and more realization. The longer he looked the more he could swear there was some trace of dark red in them, something that seemed a little too familiar, but her words pushed him out of the daze.

"Grey." Lily blurted out louder than she would have wished, although she had wished she didn't say the word all together. The man looked on with his bored expression, brow raised. "Grey… eyes…" She continued hesitantly, removing her hand from her hair and wrapping it around her waist instead, unaware of her erotic appearance as the bangs slowly fell over her face again. Jonathan decided to humour the girl, answering sternly. "Yes. What about them?" Lily began to fidget, still with unbroken eye contact. "They're pretty…" At that point she had lost her stance and looked down to see a bare chest barely hidden by her hair, squeaking as she fumbled to place an arm around her chest, looking up with complete horror in her eyes as the two stared on in silence.

"Nicetalkingtoyoubye!" Lily yelled out in the quiet air before slamming the window shut and closing the curtains, running into the bathroom with panic. She leaned over and looked into the mirror at her image. She definitely looked sleepy, bags under her dark eyes, pale skin and messy hair. With a glance at the clock she whimpered, quickly tying up her hair with a gruff and stepped into the shower. She didn't like getting her hair wet, and she certainly didn't like her horrible karma. "It's probably for the best…" She simply decided as the warm water began to run along her body. _I deserve much worse anyway._

Jonathan furrowed his brow, eyes dancing with curiosity and annoyance as he tiredly looked on at the closed window. "What a peculiar girl." He mumbled to himself, running long fingers through messy hair as he looked at the time.

"5:30 am. Hmm…"

/author's note/

Hiya!

Thanks for reading the first chapter of my fan fic! I just wanted to clear up that none of the characters here belong to me except Lily. Now, as you go on you might see that there are some aspects tweaked from the original comics and movies, which I really hope is okay!

Anyway, this is my first work and it's a little slow now but I hope to get it going to pretty inappropriate measures... Aha. / Review and I'll try my very best to update as often as possible! Even if you really have no correction or advice, just tell me what you think of the story so far! I'd really appreciate it! 3

Your shy novice,

Lilac C.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Johnathan walked away from the window up towards a set up dress shirt, black belt, and brown pants. He tilted his head to the side staring on at the clothing, a small sigh escaping him as he untied his pants, allowing them to fall to his ankles.

As he fixed his tie he looked over at the hand bag on the kitchen table. Johnathan slowly used a finger to spread open the unzipped bag, a rough and badly stitched brown mask among the books. A numb smile stretched along his face with pleasure. "New day, new research to bed done." Before he knew it he was looking toward the window again, quickly looking away with a grimace. **_Maybe… _**A voice in his head snarled with a scaly tone.

Lily, just out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body sighed as she connected her cell to her radio, playing the first track loudly with pleasure. As guitar and percussion surrounded the room she sang along softly, raising her hands slowly to let her hair loose. "_Please could you stop the noise I'm tryna get some rest…_" Her towel slipped off as she pranced to her dresser, slipping on a black pair of panties and black brassier, her socks and other pieces of clothing already set atop her mess of pillows and teddies. First some short black socks, some black skinny spandex pants, a black tank top, and finally a fluffy white sweater which clung to the base of her neck, still allowing the bell its space to ring as she moved.

With her messy hair braided loosely down her back and small bits of her bangs hanging out on the sides of her face she slipped on her auburn boots and grabbed a side bag full of her day's books. "6:05" Lily breathed in triumph, already attempting to forgetting the incident from earlier. "It'll be a good day." With a farewell to Molly and a promise of more cream for the both of them she was gone.

-ii-

"Oh, good morning!" The British barista behind the counter smiled wide with a wave towards Lily.

"Yeah. It is isn't it?" Lily replied with a glance out the window at the dark rainy streets of the all too busy Gotham she felt she'd known practically her whole life, although she knew otherwise. She shuddered, pushing the thoughts out of her head.

With a shake of her umbrella she took her seat, a coffee handed her way almost as soon as her bottom hit the chair in front of the counter.

"Medium. 3 creams 1 sugar, per usual." The barista gave a boyish grin as he nudged the coffee her direction.

"Oh." Lily looked on a little puzzled at the coffee then at the boy that had handed it to her before giving him the money due.

"I guess I'm more predictable than I thought." She said with a questioning smile. She'd seen him before here but had never bothered to learn the boy's name. Giving him a good look now, he wasn't all too average looking. His skin was beautifully ebony, build very soft, a lot like a male model if she had to put it into words. His hair was a medium length mass of red kinks and curls pulled back into a pony tail at the center of the back of his head. He had full pink lips and big hazel eyes with such a soft jaw line, and long slender neck. He was beautiful, and she'd never really _looked _enough to realize.

"Not entirely." He tutted in his deep accented voice, a bit of a chuckle escaping him as he leaned over the counter in front of her. She could make out his muscles more in this position through his closely fitted black tee, covered by the usual Starbucks apron. A finger reached up to dangle her earrings. She had decided to wear her hanging owl earrings that day, a little confused with his motion towards them and slightly repelled with a twitch away. The motion seemed to sadden him, but he still kept up conversation.

"See, I've never seen you wear the same pair of earrings." He sighed a little, eyes half open and expression a locked on look of serene intensity. Lily could feel herself wanting to look away, half flattered and half unwilling. Instead she took a large swing at the coffee, melting inside at how great it tasted.

She took a small look around the shop as she answered. "Oh? So you've been watching me then?" She smiled mischievously towards a small group of 3 girls, 2 of them being Caucasian and one probably Korean by the look of it, all of them most definitely under the age of 15 and all of them giving her a great look of hatred. She moved her smile from them to him, a little shocked at his simple stare. He was at a loss for words, slowly beginning to stutter an answer. "Well… n-no not really. N-Not that I wouldn't want to! But… well what I mean is…" Her smile grew and she laughed with a slight raise of her shoulders at every giggle.

"I'm joking," She took a quick glance at his name tag "James." He looked up from his stutter and gave a large smile with a laugh. "Oh hell, you had me there." He waved a finger at her and they laughed some more. At that point Lily couldn't help but notice the question mark earring on his left ear, but was interrupted when he suddenly blurted out,

"Could we get together sometime?"

"…Like a date?" Lily followed with a raise of her brow, his face tinted just a little darker than his norm, which indicated his blushing, giving her deep amusement.

"Well… yeah. I guess like a date." At those words Lily brought out a pen and tissue.

310-555-1234

x Lily x

She handed him the paper. "Text me whenever and we'll go out." She quickly slung the bag across her shoulders, the umbrella in one hand and her coffee in the other as she made her way to the door.

"I look forward to it, James."

"L-Likewise!" Lily opened the umbrella and walked out the door, her shapely figure swaying with every step as if to mock him. "…Lily." He sighed under his breath as she walked away on the other side of the glass, the girls in the corner of the store who were much younger than him approaching again to make conversation.

Lily took a look at her wristwatch, then up from under the black and pink polka dotted umbrella at the slightly lightening rainy sky. Her bus stop wasn't all too far around the corner, and she had more than enough time to get to class. She looked again at the dimly lit cloud covered sky and sighed, removing the umbrella for only a second before placing it above her head again with a shiver. James' face went through her mind as she chuckled a little with a shake of her head. "It's different now. Time to be different."

She boarded the bus, reading the words at the front of the auto-mobile in her mind. _Gotham University Express._

/author's note/

I'd like to think there was a little more progress in this chapter, and a little hint as to who'll be stopping by our story in the very near future *wink wink*. Again, no other characters belong to me besides Lily and James (Potter? Heh, I promise the names were not intentional. I just realized their significance myself). And if there was a question as to what she was listening to, it's Paranoid Android by Radiohead. It's a nice song. As for the previous chapter what woke her up was Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin. Anyway, please review and comment because I welcome judgement of all kinds! Happy holidays and I'll be sure to update soon!

Your shy novice,

Lilac C.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"No no NO NO PLEASE MAKE THEM STOP NO!" The middle aged woman clawed at her face, her long nails dragging chunks of meat along with them as she continued with her shrill screams. Dr. Crane stood on the other side of the table that separated them, his arms holding him up on the table as he watched the woman's torment, mask over his face. Behind it he was in a crazed daze, smile wide, not that the woman across from him could see if she had the self-control. As the smoke began to fade into the room he sighed, removing the mask and leaving the woman to scream on her own, very aware of his facial change as soon as he left the cell.

"Not too much progress with Annie today, huh Doc." A neatly dressed blond looked past him and towards the closed door that restraints had begun to enter to return the woman back to her cell. When she saw the scratches on the woman's face the blond seemed to turn dark, looking down away from the sight. Johnathan patted her shoulder with little remorse. "Strengthen up, Dr. Quinzel. This is no job for the weak." With that he walked away, not giving the woman's hidden face a second thought as he grabbed his bag to leave. Little did anyone know that Dr. Harleen Quinzel, in her broken up and shaken state, her face hidden by a hand, was trying her very best to hide her amusement.

-ii-

Lily sheepishly took a seat in the mid third row of the lecture room, looking about as small groups of others spread about the hall. She then looked down at the empty desk in front of the class.

"Haven't seen you around before." Lily looked up at the boy setting his books down next to her, his jet black hair neatly parted with two small bangs hanging in front of his forehead. He seemed to have one of those 'matter of fact' grins on, which kind of got on Lily's nerves. She assumed he could probably see the irritation on her face, since he put his hands up in defense with a small chuckle.

"I didn't mean it like that, Sweetheart. It's just interesting to see someone new at this point of the year in, well, this kind of course." He took a glance around then back to her, brow raising as he waited for a response.

"Well, it's only been a month since the class started… I'm sure it's not _that _interesting." She said, still a little defensive.

"Oh contraire, Sweets. This teacher covered out first 3 topics lightning fast. And-"

"And what? You think I'm not smart enough to catch up?" Lily scoffed.

"No. You made it past his expectations, getting into this class as late as you did." The boy said a little apologetic.

"It's really only been a month-"  
>"Yes yes, I understand." The boy began to shake his head, pure amusement and interest in his sharp features.<p>

"I'm just saying, I'm more than happy to give you my notes and help out." He seemed to sigh the words with a shake of his head, his blue eyes darting to the clock.

Lily was a little shocked at his suggestion. She looked him up and down and recognized the build of muscle. This man probably did gymnastic or fighting or maybe… maybe even… She mentally punched the idea out, looking back at the boy with a smile.

"I'm Lily. Lily Mendez."  
>"Richard Grayson. You can call me Dick though." He gave a suggestive wink and she couldn't help but laugh.<p>

They shook hands and smiled at each other genuinely before Dick's expression fell into a small amount of annoyance. _Now? Really? I wanted to talk to her some more. _He thought to himself. Lily turned to see what had caused his mood to drop and saw their professor walk through the door. Then she went pale.

Johnathan walked into the room, mild pleasure on his face mixing with his usual stern glare, but it wasn't too apparent. As he place his bags on the desk he quickly brought out a book, flipping to the saved place and reading the name out. "Would a Miss. Mendez please come down? I need to have a word." He still looked at his books, organizing them for the day's lecture.

Lily sat frozen, Dick eying her worriedly before whispering something quick.

"Lily, I'm not trying to be rude, but I really don't think you should give him the opportunity to ask twice. Trust me on this one."

She gave him a small grimace before slowly raising from her seat and walking down the slope to his desk, head down in embarrassment.

Without a glance Dr. Crane began to speak as he felt her approaching.

"Miss. Mendez, you are, in the least, a year younger than everyone in this room and have been accepted late, so I suggest you-" At that point he looked up at her, pausing when his memory flashed back to the girl in the window. For a moment they stared at each other, Lily pale and worriedly with a nervous gulp and Johnathan with no expression whatsoever.

"…You get a partner in the class to help you catch up. That is all." On that simple note he continued his rummaging. Lily on his subconscious mind, if he could call it that.

At the opportunity Lily almost ran back to her seat, the rest of the hall was still in a chatter without any real realization that the teacher was even in in the room. Dick tried his best to comfort her, with a little pat on the shoulder as she returned to the right of him.

"Listen, he can be pretty scary. And it's alright, I'm here. Be strong and we'll get through this class easy." He gave her a shake and a smile, Lily weakly returning the smile as the lesson began.

Throughout the class Johnathan looked her direction more often than he looked towards his students on an average week, and Lily had accidently made eye contact once, causing her to startle herself and continue on writing, and Johnathan to dart his eyes away almost immediately. He despised himself for his idiotic response and she felt hatred for her weakness to the stare. _It's as if I'm scared of him or something… _she thought to herself in defeat as she glanced back up at him, his nose in a book he was reading aloud. _Lily… Suits her, _he thought curiously to himself as he began to draw diagrams on the board.

At the end of the lecture Lily packed her things and ran past her professor's desk and out the door with a shaken, "Good afternoon, Professor Crane." Dick called after her with a small jog down and look towards Johnathan. "She's something, huh Professor." Johnathan looked on at the door as he answered as plainly as he could manage. "I suppose so." Dick ran out with a nod and smile, still calling after Lily.

-ii-

There sat Johnathan, the class empty while he wrote up notes for the next day. Slowly with a glance at his watch he began to pack. With a light step he halted, looking under his foot at the novel that stopped his movements. Crane bent to investigate, quickly reading the title of the novel aloud. "The Book of Negroes." He could feel himself smile at the name on the inside of the book. He'd be sure to give it back to its owner immediately.

-ii-

"Lily! Come on, stop running!" Lily looked back at Dick some length behind her in a jog. Her face was warm, but she was willing to blame it on her speed.

"What's wrong? Can't keep up?" She giggled in triumph, only to be chased closely 3 seconds later, increasing her speed in astonishment. "But… you were so far away."

"Trust me Lils, it _really _doesn't matter." He chuckled, his arms reaching around her waist as he pulled her down on the grass with him in silent panting.

Finally Dick spoke. "Either you're one nervous wreck or there's something between the two of you."

Lily was again astonished, looking back at him with a sly tilt of her head. "Still, it's your business. As much as I'd love to know, I'm willing to wait. Besides, I have a feeling there's something between us. Like some kinda click, you know? And not to be mushy or anything-" The black haired boy gently let her to his side as he took a stand, handing out his hand for her to grab, which she did willingly.

"But something tells me you feel it too." He looked down at his hands which willed her to look as well. One wrapped around her waist again while the other held her hand as she stood slowly. The rain started to fall again. With a smile she looked back up at him. She didn't even mind that he was being so touchy with her, and it definitely wasn't awkward in the slightest, as it usually was with many others. It was as if he crept behind her guard intentionally, which made her look upon him sweetly and happily.

A beep was heard in the distance as well as an elderly British accent. "Master Grayson."

"On my way, Alfred." He yelled back, still looking Lily in the eye. With a shake out of his daze he patted himself, bringing out a pen and paper, asking her if she'd like a ride after she shook her head in decline.

"Then at least give me your number and I'll invite you over sometime. We have some catching up to do. School stuff, heh." After putting the numbers down and passing him the slip he gave her a click of his tongue and a point and ran off to the elderly man at the door of a limo. She vaguely heard him chatter before closing the door, "Hey Alfred, tomorrow a good day for a visitor?" giggling at how spontaneous the idea was. The feeling from before grew as the car drove away, Lily enabling herself to mutter under her breath inquisitively.

"Guess this makes us friends." Lily hummed as she opened her umbrella, smiling to herself as she began her stroll to the bus stop.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Oh, excuse me Miss?" Jarvis approached the young woman in black and white sheepishly with a childlike gaze down at her, although he was only a few inches taller. _Probably around 5 ft… 6? No, 7!_ _I'll be sure to question her on the matter. _He thought. "Apologies to disturb you, but I'm looking for a cafe. Would you know where the, 'Konditorei Heiner' is located?" He looked on hopefully and the girl couldn't help but chuckle at him.

"Yeah, I know. The new Austrian place in the area. Heard they're good." She gave him a welcoming wink before beckoning him to follow, which he did. "You're the third person I've asked. Pardon my directness but… what made you want to show me there?" The girl shrugged, looking him in the eye again with a sigh.

"Maybe I just feel like being nice. Maybe I'm trying to even out my karma. Who knows?" She shrugged with a shake of her head, getting a good look at the man next to her. Slender, thin, pale, almost malnourished colour actually. He had an overbite and quite a large nose, along with large spectacles and flattened hair parted down the middle. His umbrella was black and plain and his clothes the normal clothes of your average office worker. White shirt, tie, etc. His tone was interesting, which probably pulled her in in the first place, despite the rain around her and her desire to get home.

Jervis gave a large smile and bow of his head. "Jervis. And you, mademoiselles?"

"Lily. Nice to meet you Jervis." He took her hand, leaning in to land a soft kiss on her wrist, sending a shiver of disgust through her as she desperately refused her violent urge to smack him away. She wasn't too fond of random physical contact like that and pulled away a little quicker than what was considered polite.

"Sorry... I guess you kinda shocked me there." She said in her defence apologetically, although he didn't seem to mind as he looked her up and down curiously.

"You… like birds?" He said hesitantly with a hunch as he pointed toward her earnings, a small chuckle emanating from her at the question. "Respect them, and only the predators. Owls, eagles… The others are just colourful distractions I guess."

"And mammals? Maybe… bats?"

Lily looked up at him, question in her expression. "Are you referring to Batman?" He looked about with nervous tweaks, adjusting his glasses and clearing his throat. "I suppose I've been discovered…" Lily looked on judgementally, but gave him a sly nudge just to be friendly.

"I think he's unnecessary. Besides, a guy like that comes up and all of a sudden there are intricate characters left and right trying to beat him down. And… the casualties don't exactly add up to the 'justice'. But I guess that's just me." She sighed with a shrug, the man next to her shaking his head furiously at her ending words.

"No! I do believe you're correct, Lily! And you know what else? Someone like that causes those intricate characters to do those things. It's always their fault. Always their fault…" She could reluctantly feel Jervis begin to fade, his tone becoming depressed and full of anxiety as quickly as it was hyped up. _Awfully fast of a change,_ she couldn't help but think as she gave him an unwilling pat on the shoulder. "Hey, it's all right. Look, we're here. Not everything is bad, because you found your destination, yeah? But this is where I leave you, Jervis." He looked back at her, almost instantly cheery in his twitchy way again.

"Why I do believe you have a point there! Thank you, Lily!"

The malnourished man watched as the shapely girl walked away, her pinkish purple polka dotted umbrella all he could make of her figure before closing his own umbrella and stepping into the café where his previous engagement sat waiting.

"I'm sorry I'm late. Got a little lost, but a wonderful little kitten seemed to aid me here through the jungles of-" His companion interrupted abruptly.

"I'm not interested in your excuses or apparitions, Mr. Tech. Do you have the supplies?"

Jervis looked down at his hands twiddling his fingers in sadness before he saw the hat shaped pastry and earl gray with cream and sugar waiting for him in plain sight. He looked back up, his friend occupied with a novel in his hands, not bothering to look up at his idiotically distracted friend.

"Just take the bag…" Tech started, a little dazed. "You know, you act like you don't care, but your actions are rather contradictory sometimes, Crane."

"Please, Tech. It's Dr. Crane." Johnathan looked up, annoyed at his partner before drinking the last of his coffee and grabbing the bag to check its components. After everything was in check he looked back at his, well, 'friend' and his disgusting choice in sustenance, still stroking the novel in hand.

"You know," Jervis started innocently. "Sometimes I think you shouldn't have to do all this 'research'. I mean, don't you see it to be a little cruel?" Johnathan scowled in his friend's direction, blank anger filling him as he calmly said with a stand. "After that 'Alice' incident, I don't think you deserve a say." And with that the messy haired doctor left his friend to his disturbed thoughts on the matter, a sleek and slimy smile crawling on Johnathan's face as he walked out the door, knowing exactly the damage he had caused.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_"__Please, please. Let me go. I want to see my mummy. I want to se- mmHHF!" The little blond screamed as a hand roughly covered her mouth, a hiss coming from a man in a tall hat and some gloves, that being all he was wearing. "Shshshshhh." The man put a finger up to his lips, curling them back into a slimy and crazed grin._

_"__Now Alice, why would you want to do that?"_

Jervis could still see the blood on his hands, faintly hearing the screams of his sweet little Alice. How beautiful it was, how horrific it was. He grabbed roughly at himself at the same time a rush of arousal overthrowing his senses. He could still see himself sitting in the middle of that room, little Alice's limp and blood stained bare body lying on the ground next to him. Right where Johnathan found him. Jervis couldn't take it anymore, calmly exiting the café before running back to his work.

"I must see the other Alice. The lively Alice. The not dead Alice. I **must **see my Alice." 

-ii-

Lily switched on the news with a slump on her couch, a fresh cream in a bowl near her stove and in a glass in her hand as she watched on with wonder at the ridiculous stories.

_"__Five are dead after The Joker recently leaked a new substance known as 'Plaster' in the northern downtown area of Gotham City. He has been recaptured and admitted back into Arkham for five life sentences by the Batman and Robin earlier this afternoon. More on the details with Chief of Police coming up."_

"Ugh." Lily sighed in disgust at the death rate. "I could do way better." She paused suddenly, her heart skipping a beat. _What… was I referring to? _Lily could feel the lump building up in her throat as she convinced herself it was nothing of importance. A vibration of her phone took her out of her frenzied daze, Lily curiously checking to see who it was.

_Hey. It's Grayson, from Psych. How's tomorrow for you?_

Lily could feel herself smile before she responded, her previous thoughts in the back of her head. Before she could answer there was another vibration.

_Hello, Lily. It's James, from the coffee shop. Was wondering if you were free tomorrow?_

"Now how do I deal with this?" She slumped, a little annoyed the two had texted around the same time. "Guess I can fit them both in…"

-ii-

Jonathan neatly tucked away his book bag and jacket in his office down at the Asylum. He'd have preferred to stay in there that day, seeing all the ruckus going on after the Joker dilemma. As soon as he'd returned Harleen was on a frenzy, talking more than he'd ever heard her go on before. She was so different. Her admirably professional tone began to squeak and crack, a hidden accent swiftly making itself apparent as she went on. He could see the obsession. The crazed desire and passion in her eyes, something he too saw in the mirror more often than he could monitor. In the end though, he wasn't one for the excitement. Just another crazed lunatic in a whole wide world full of them. What different did this one make?

"Knock, knock." A disappointed Brooklyn accent called out on the other side of his office door.

"Yes, come in Dr. Quinzel." The blond trudged through the door, slumping down on a couch in the larger office before she began with a whimper, staring at him with baby blue puppy dog eyes. "They wan'chya to give 'im a visit, Doc." She said almost painfully.

"Is that so?" Jonathan said in more of a statement than a questions with the woman's whiny 'Mmhm'. He took a stand, packing up a booklet and pen to take notes as he made his way to the door.

"Oh, and Harleen?" The girl only moved her eyes to him, all strength fading from her depression. "I'll try and put in a good word." He quickly took his leave, halfway down the hallway hearing an overly dramatic yippee from his room. He couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm doing it mostly for me, Dr. Quinzel. No need to be so idiotic." Jonathan ran an annoyed hand through messy hair, his face not as displeased as his tone would have wanted it to be.


End file.
